


Rest for the Wicked

by raziraphale



Series: ain't nothing in this world for free [3]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Agender Character, Alcohol, Anniversary, Awkward Conversations, Borderlands: Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel - Freeform, Developing Relationship, F/F, Gender Neutral Pronouns for Zer0, Light Angst, Other, Party, Sappy Ending, Tales From the Borderlands, Vignettes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:55:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21866350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raziraphale/pseuds/raziraphale
Summary: If asked, Athena and Zer0 would hesitate to call what they had a friendship. For one thing, absolutely nobody would ever ask. Athena and Zer0 had been acquainted long before anybody had started seriously calling themselves Vault Hunters, and as far as the other Vault Hunters were aware, not a word had ever passed between the two of them. This wasnearlytrue.But, sometimes, despite the vastness of the universe, the two assassins crossed paths. When they did, all it took was a silent nod of mutual understanding for them to find themselves sharing a booth and a bottle of suspiciously paint-thinner-like booze  in amicable silence, comforted slightly by the presence of someone who justgot itwithout needing to ever say a word.This did not last.Zer0 and Athena meet up several times over the course of theBorderlandsseries and slowly learn the value of giving a shit.
Relationships: Athena & Zer0 (Borderlands), Athena/Janey Springs, Rhys/Zer0 (Borderlands)
Series: ain't nothing in this world for free [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1642651
Comments: 12
Kudos: 99





	Rest for the Wicked

**Author's Note:**

> hello again, borderlands fandom!! while I still haven't had the chance to play bl3, I did recently finish the pre-sequel for the first time I wow I sure do love Athena ! so have this.
> 
> This work is completely standalone, but I would consider it compliant with my other borderlands/zerhys fics, [ ain't nothing in this world for free](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18511243/chapters/43869424) and [ In One Ear](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20581967). 
> 
> title a reference to Cage the Elephant's Ain't No Rest for the Wicked bc man if they don't just capture the sound of this series huh
> 
> enjoy !!

If asked, Athena and Zer0 would hesitate to call what they had a friendship. For one thing, absolutely nobody would ever ask. Athena and Zer0 had been acquainted long before anybody had started seriously calling themselves Vault Hunters, and as far as the other Vault Hunters were aware, not a word had ever passed between the two of them. This was _nearly_ true.

But, sometimes, despite the vastness of the universe, the two assassins crossed paths. When they did, all it took was a silent nod of mutual understanding for them to find themselves sharing a booth and a bottle of suspiciously paint-thinner-like booze at the nearest bar. They sometimes exchanged a few words of small talk – even skilled mercenaries had manners – but most of the time the two were content to just sit in amicable silence, comforted slightly by the presence of someone who just _got it_ without needing to ever say a word.

This did not last.

~*~

Zer0 hadn’t seen Athena in a while when they finally ran into her again on Elpis, but that wasn’t the only reason they had trouble recognizing her. Physically, she was the same – she had all her limbs that Zer0 could see, which was never a given in this part of the galaxy – but there was something different behind her eyes. Athena could hardly be called be called an open book, but there had always been an intensity to her eyes, a determination, that was clear to anyone who met her. There was pain there, sure, but Athena had always radiated dangerous competence to the point where no one dared ask her about it.

The Athena that slid into the booth opposite Zer0 at the Moxxi’s in Concordia didn’t make eye contact. Her gaze was listless and distracted, seeming to slide off Zer0’s helmet to rest on some point over their shoulder. Her body language was tense, but not alert, like a spring that had been coiled too tight for too long and was starting to give way. Her body practically sagged into the uncomfortable booth, like she hadn’t rested for days. Zer0 believed it was probably the case, judging from the bags under her eyes that were nearly indistinguishable from bruises.

At first, they drank in their usual silence.

It wasn’t long before Zer0 began to feel uncharacteristically uneasy, though. Zer0 still hadn’t caught Athena’s haunted eyes and the silence, which used to feel warm with silent comraderie, felt cold and brittle. Despite themselves, Zer0 was concerned.

“Difficult mission?” was all Zer0 said, but it was enough to make Athena jump a bit in her seat at the unexpected sound. Her eyes focused on Zer0’s face again, only for her to scrunch her face into a deep frown.

“What makes you say that?” Athena asked, defensively.

Zer0 didn’t bother to answer, electing instead to stare at Athena with a blank mask and hope their tired disbelief made it across. It did, and Athena suddenly deflated into her seat, her head hitting the backrest with a dull thud. She raised her head slowly to again meet Zer0’s masked gaze, that small effort seeming to cost all her remaining energy.

“I found a vault,” Athena started, sounding so exhausted that the information barely even registered in Zer0’s mind before she continued, “But I kind of fell in with some bad types on my way there. It wasn’t even about the vault anymore…” Athena’s face screwed up in anger for only a second before falling slack. “The only person who left that stupid vault satisfied was the biggest asshole in the galaxy and it’s all my fault.”

“I don’t recall being there.” Zer0 said, trying to lighten the mood, but regretted the poor attempt at humour at the sight of Athena’s tired confusion. “At least you’re alive,” Zer0 supplied instead.

“Almost wish I wasn’t,” Athena said reflexively before shaking her head with a slow sigh. “No, I don’t mean that.”

Zer0 sat in silence a moment longer before trying again.

“I am on my way,” they started tentatively, “to Pandora for a job…” Zer0 trailed off with a questioning tilt of their head.

Athena managed a small smile. “Thanks, but as much as I enjoy what we’ve got going on, I’m not sure how well two lone wolves would work out.”

“There will be others,” Zer0 said, and in a few quick movements sent the details over to her ECHO. Zer0 watched as Athena stiffened in her seat, her gaze falling again as she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, taking deep breaths to try to calm herself.

“No, I had better not,” she said finally, trying and failing to sound like she wasn’t gritting her teeth. “I’m not sure how safe Pandora is for me right now.” She opened her eyes suddenly, like she had just remembered something. “And I can’t leave…” She turned around in her seat to catch a glimpse of the streets of Concordia beyond the door, before gathering herself with a cough.

Zer0 leaned forward onto to the table, head resting on both their fists, and hoped Athena could interpret the grin behind their mask, the smugness of which could not hope to be conveyed through the **[:)]** on their helmet display alone. Athena blushed, and Zer0’s hidden grin widened.

“In seriousness,” Zer0 said, though they were very much still smiling “I am glad to hear that you will not be alone.”

“Uh, thank you,” Athena said, awkward yet sincere. She seemed suddenly restless, itching to leave the bar. Zer0 considered that an improvement from the dead look in her eyes before, and moved to follow her out.

As they both reached the entrance to Moxxi’s, standing on the streets of Concordia, Athena turned back to face Zer0, despite the effort Zer0 suspected it took not to take off immediately.

“Be careful on that mission of yours,” Athena said seriously. “Don’t trust that Jack guy.”

Athena did not elaborate, but Zer0 nodded all the same. “Noted.”

Athena gave them one last, curt not before taking off down the street and into a nearby shop with a newfound energy. Zer0 lingered a moment longer on the street, wondering if they would ever cross paths again.

~*~

Zer0 was so surprised the next time they saw Athena that they forgot they were supposed to be mad at her. Zer0 had crossed the length of the small trading outpost in three long strides before stopping in front of Athena with a bright red **[ >:(]** on their helmet. Athena laughed at the sight, the sound easily rising above the din of the crowd around them. It was a brief laugh – a little hollow, with just an edge of hysteria – but a laugh nonetheless. Zer0 relaxed their posture, but kept the face.

“So, how’d that job for Jack go?” Athena asked nonchalantly, as if the whole damn galaxy didn’t know what the hell had gone down on Pandora. She smiled, but it had a cruel curl to it. “I told you not to trust him.”

“What’s done is done now,” Zer0 said coolly. “And it _is_ done. Goodbye, Jack.” Zer0’s voice gave the impression that they would’ve spat on the ground if they were able. 

“Wish I could’ve done the honours myself.”

Zer0 shook their head. “Better off here. Safe.”

Athena’s next smile was a little warmer. Before she could respond, Athena jolted to attention at the sound of an incoming ECHO. She rushed to dismiss it before deflating with a tired sigh.

“That was my… my…” Athena tried, shaking her head. She smiled again, softly this time. “She worries about me. Doesn’t know I’m out here.”

Zer0 nodded, but didn’t say anything. They weren’t unfamiliar with the concept of romantic love, despite every appearance of Zer0 not experiencing any emotion save smug satisfaction, but they had to confess that they had considered both themselves and Athena to be immune. Huh.

Athena looked better, though. There was a softness behind her eyes now, tucked behind all that ingrained training and skilled determination. She looked… rested. It was hard to argue with results.

“I’d better get going,” Athena began, letting her eyes fall away, but now with embarrassment this time. “Call Janey back before she sends every Vault Hunter she knows after me.” Athena sighed. “Though, I guess that doesn’t amount to very many these days.”

Zer0 nodded, and that old, understanding silence fell between them once again. This time, they didn’t so much part ways as let the bustle of the outpost pass into the space between them, their conversation replaced with a cacophony of alien languages that were someone both familiar and strange. The crowd took them their separate ways – Zer0, to their mission as far away from Pandora as possible and Athena back to her newfound home.

~*~

The last person Zer0 probably would’ve expected to see at Moxxi’s bar in Sanctuary was probably Handsome Jack, with him being dead and all. Athena came in a close second, so it was still shaping up to be a pretty weird day.

“You’re not welcome here,” Zer0 said as they slid into the booth beside her, not as a threat but as a simple statement of fact. The stormy glare Athena shot them over her drink made it clear that she was well _well_ aware.

“Didn’t exactly come here of my own free will,” Athena spat before downing the rest of her drink “Can’t even get killed like I deserve.” Zer0 flashed a **[?]** but Athena didn’t elaborate.

“Is your…” Zer0 searched for the right word, feeling distinctly uncool “… girlfriend alright, then?”

Athena’s expression only grew more thunderous. “My _fiancée_ is probably better off without me, anyway. Can’t even trust me to not get myself in trouble.”

Zer0 surprised themselves with the **[ >:(]** that made its way onto their helmet instinctively. “You’re being a child.”

Athena startled, blinking at them a few times, but didn’t say anything. Her frown deepened, but her anger had mellowed out into a hollow sadness. She sighed, letting her head rest into her open palm.

“I don’t even have anything to show for it,” she mumbled to herself. “The others are probably dead, Gortys is probably gone, Janey is –”

“Gortys?” Zer0 couldn’t help but interject, their interest piqued. Athena only shook her head, exhausted.

“Probably not worth it,” she said, “It’ll all be over by now.”

Zer0 pouted in the privacy of their own helmet, but didn’t press it. For a while, they just let the table lapse into a familiar silence. It was a little sadder, a little more tired, but it was still familiar in its comforting ease. Despite everything, they were still two of a kind.

“Go home to Janey,” Zer0 said eventually, after Athena seemed to be nursing her latest drink just a little too long. “If Jack could not end the world, you certainly can’t.” Athena tensed at the mention of his name, but deflated a moment later, her exhaustion seeming to have finally caught up with her.

“You’re right,” she said, reluctantly. “Probably best to lie low and enjoy the fact that no one wants to kill me for a change.” Athena clenched her jaw, amending, “besides Janey, I guess.”

Athena began to slowly slide her tired body out of the booth. After a moment of thought, Zer0 decided to shoot her a little **[ <3]** of support. Athena didn’t say anything, but gave them a small smile in return.

“Catch you around,” Athena said, sounding as if she didn’t expect it to happen. Zer0 watched her disappear out the door, strangely certain that they would see her again soon.

~*~

There was no grand reunion when both Zer0 and Athena were called in to help open the Vault of the Traveller, just a businesslike nod. They were professionals, at the end of the day.

But, later, when the dust had barely settled around the still-growing pile of loot, Athena drifted away from her fiancée’s side to ask Zer0, “so how do _you_ know these idiots?”

Zer0 shook their head and waved their arms in a casually dismissive way, as if to say _long fucking story_.

Athena smiled, and Zer0 was beginning to get used to the sight of it on her face. “I didn’t know you could play well with others, especially non-Vault Hunters.”

Zer0’s mask lit up with a **[¯\\_(** **ツ** **)_/¯]** despite shrugging being just as easy. “Rhys did call me cool.”

Athena rolled her eyes. “Guess that just proves once and for all that he’s an idiot.”

Zer0 shot her a **[ >:(]**.

“At least he’s not as dumb as you are for liking him.”

“I wouldn’t say I like him. I don’t like people.”

Athena flashed a teasing smirk, but didn’t respond. Instead, she let it soften until she was looking at them with a quietly serious look. “Listen, I used to tell myself that, too. But turns out it’s actually worth it to give a shit sometimes.”

Zer0 let the silence linger. Eventually, Athena drifted off back to Janey’s side. Zer0 watched with an unfamiliar pang as she slung her arm around Janey’s waist, the movement still careful, but becoming more familiar to her, the affection easy. Completely unrelatedly, Zer0 suddenly wondered where Rhys and Fiona had disappeared off to.

~*~

“So, you don’t like him at all, huh?” Athena said, continuing their conversation as if years hadn’t passed in the interim.

This was perhaps the first time Athena and Zer0 had met up on purpose. Currently, it seemed like everyone Zer0 had ever met that had lived to tell the tale was crammed into Moxxi’s bar in Sanctuary. What had started as a small surprise party put on by a handful of Vault Hunters to celebrate and say goodbye had somehow turned into an Event with a capital E. By now most of the people crammed into the building probably didn’t know whose anniversary they were celebrating, or that Zer0 and Rhys would be leaving the next day for Promethea along with the Atlas corporation’s headquarters.

“I like him a lot,” Zer0 replied in the same tone as someone confessing to a terminal illness. “Feelings are… unfortunate.”

Zer0 and Athena looked across the bar to see Rhys striking up a conversation with Janey. They couldn’t hear him from across the room, but both Zer0 and Athena could see the wild gesticulating of his arms, Rhys nearly taking out several people’s drinks as he continued to talk passionately about something or other. Janey’s expression could be best described as a deer caught in the headlights, but a deer very much desperate to still appear polite to the car in front of them. Athena caught Janey’s attention over Rhys’ shoulder and attempted to send her a sympathetic look while also trying not to laugh. It didn’t work, and Athena got a glare for her trouble.

“I was worried enough about keeping Janey safe after everything,” Athena said, turning back to Zer0 “and she can handle herself. I’d imagine keeping this idiot out of trouble is a full-time job.”

Zer0 shrugged in a way that somehow managed to look fond, as if to say _well, he’s my idiot now_.

“Don’t fuck this up for yourself,” Athena said with a sudden harshness.

“I do not plan to.”

“I’m serious.” Athena looked pained, as if having a serious conversation was like swallowing bees. “I messed up a lot at first, thinking I didn’t deserve anything and that it would all fall apart eventually – so why bother.” Athena seemed to steel herself. “I’m lucky to have a partner forgiving enough to have made it through that.”

“Because the truth is that we don’t deserve any of it,” Athena continued, avoiding looking at Zer0’s mask directly “But since we seem to have it, we have to work every day to try to deserve it.”

Athena jammed a finger into Zer0’s narrow chest, raising her eyes to meet their helmet. “I personally don’t care much about what happens to Mr. Atlas over there,” she said, tilting her head towards where Rhys was still risking a barfight over spilled drinks. “Personally, I think you can do a lot better. But it’s not about what we _deserve_ , it’s about keeping what we have on this shitty planet.” She dug her finger harder into the armour on their chest. “So, don’t fuck it up. Take care of yourself.”

Zer0 didn’t say anything. They thought about brushing her off with a _thank you for projecting your own feelings onto me_ or _I do not think I am undeserving of anything, actually_ but they couldn’t quite get the syllables right in their head. Speaking outside the structure of a cool, clipped haiku seemed suddenly too intimate, too _telling_ , though Zer0 still wasn’t entirely sure what there was to tell.

Instead of answering, Zer0 looked out at the crowd for anyone who would catch their eye and save them from this conversation. Across the room, Fiona and Sasha were completely engrossed in conversation with Gaige who, against all rules of common sense, had Deathtrap hovering behind her, complete with a party hat and a tray of drinks. The three women were talking animatedly and looking over at the robot, and Zer0 wondered idly if it would be making an appearance in a future heist.

Over in the corner, Zer0 saw Maya and Krieg. Maya had both hands covering his ears, keeping Krieg bent double so they were face to face. She was whispering something to him, and Zer0 saw her fingers rub at Krieg’s temples almost imperceptibly, as if trying to calm him down. Krieg’s eyes were closed, and his hulking form heaved with every quick breath. Zer0 wondered if the party had grown too overwhelming for Krieg. Maya would probably be leading him outside soon.

At the bar, Axton was leaning gracefully across the counter in an overdramatic attempt to flirt with Lilith, who only looked over her drink at him with mild amusement. Despite not being able to hear her over the noise of the bar, Zer0 knew she was responding with her trademark biting sarcasm. Neither of their hearts were really in it, they were just going through the familiar motions, their banter flowing with as much practiced ease as the alcohol from the taps as Moxxi fetched their refills with her usual coy smile.

In the centre of the crowd, Brick and Mordecai were swaying drunkenly out of time with the music, arms slung around one another in casual affection. Zer0 _could_ actually hear them both over the sounds of the bar, but didn’t understand a word, their words slurred and indistinct despite their obvious passion. Zer0 caught a flash of indigo hair around Brick’s elbow, and knew Salvador must also be joining in on the fun.

Zer0’s gaze finally fell back on Rhys and Janey. They were surprised to see the two of them had turned in their direction. Rhys was still waving his arms around, though he gestured across the room at Zer0 periodically, clearly telling some story about them to Janey. It took a few moments for Rhys to register that Zer0 was looking back at him, but when he finally did his flailing arms stilled in midair. He broke into a wide grin, sending Zer0 a shy wave like they were teenagers at a school dance.

 _I really do not deserve this_ , Zer0 thought, thinking about much more than just the man across the room, and immediately cursed Athena for it. A lifetime of unwavering confidence and suddenly they didn’t think they deserved a painfully awkward idiot in a suit and room full of familiar faces. _Pathetic_. As if reading their mind, Athena gave a dry chuckle beside them.

“Just don’t fuck it up,” she said again, before drifting off again to Janey’s side. Zer0 followed close behind, weaving their way through the crowd back to Rhys.

~*~

Later, when Zer0 and Rhys had long boarded the ship taking them and the rest of Atlas’ assets to Promethea, Zer0 was still thinking about what Athena had said.

Rhys had fallen asleep in the co-pilot’s seat not long after take off, his tall form bent awkwardly over the space between their seats to lean his head on Zer0’s shoulder. It was clearly uncomfortable, not even considering Zer0’s boney, armoured shoulder. Still, Zer0 found themselves focusing on Rhys instead of the vast expanse of space ahead. They let the computer take over navigation and managed to maneuver one skinny arm around Rhys, fingers playing idly with his hair.

Zer0 looked back at the stars outside. From this perspective, it was easy to think of the universe as a dark, lonely void. Zer0 remembered what their life was like before, moving aimless and alone between points in the night sky, always seeking a challenge that never came.

Rhys started snoring into the base of Zer0’s neck, and their train of thought derailed with the steady vibrations. The universe may still be empty, speckled only with solitary specs of light in the darkness, but Zer0 wasn’t alone. None of them were, really. Zer0 thought of Athena, no doubt currently pulling Janey closer with unconscious affection in their shared bed. Zer0 thought of Fiona and Sasha and their little caravan family, of all the Vault Hunters they have worked with at some point or another, of all the people on the planets behind them that passed in and out of their lives, and who all had at least someone to drift towards at the end of the day. The universe wasn’t as lonely as it looked.

Zer0 turned back to look at Rhys, who by now was producing a disgustingly impressive spit bubble with his snores. It said a lot that Zer0 still felt mostly fond. They may not deserve this – spit, snores, and all – but the universe didn’t care. The universe was an empty, uncaring place, but that was why it was worth it to hang on to the other lonely people you met along the way.

Rhys slept on, and the two of them continued to the next star.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading !! please let me know if there are any timeline mishaps - I've played the series completely out of order and it wouldn't surprise me if I flubbed the order of events a lil. comments fuel my obsession, which you can witness over on my [tumblr](https://raziraphale.tumblr.com)!
> 
> happy holidays, everyone !


End file.
